Ah well, it's Christmas
by luvin-the-coffee
Summary: A follow-up to the final Tony/ Ziva scene of episode 7.10, Faith! What happens after Ziva stops smiling like she's fallen in love with Tony all over again? A little bit of Christmas fluff, but only a little! Enjoy and please review!


Authour`s note: After seeing the look on Ziva`s face when Tony gave Dolores her gift during ``Faith``, I had to write a fanfic follow-up!!! It might be slightly fluffy, but hey! What holiday warrants fluff more then Christmas? (Do not say Valentines Day :P!!)

This is my first fanfic in about a year, so be easy on me!!

----------------

Ziva watched Dolores beam over the doll in her arms and blushed as Tony gazed steadily over the HR woman's shoulder and into her eyes. She quickly averted her gaze.

_David! Freeze your jets! Those feelings are in the past. _

Still, she smiled silently to herself, thinking about Tony's gesture. There he had been, only two days before, scoffing and whining over having to provide the she-Scrooge with a holiday gift. Ziva had honestly been expecting him to show up with a Duncan Donuts gift certificate for the Grinch from Human Resources. But, there he had appeared, Christmas eve day, with a giant box containing a gift that he must have spent days tracking down… for someone he didn't even know, and claimed to hate.

Ziva smiled again.

_Tony can be so chivalrous sometimes…_

"David!"

She looked up and refocused, to see Tony standing by himself in the hallway, Dolores having entered back into her office, a huge smile adorning her face.

"Jeez David, you look like you just saw Johnny Depp naked. What's goin on?"

Ziva looked Tony straight in the eye.

``That was really great what you-uh, did- for her.``

Tony smirked gleefully, ``Yeah?``

``Yeah,`` Ziva blushed as his eyes probed hers.

_Ziva! Stop it! You are not this girl anymore!!_

``Why ya blushing Zee-vah?``

_Oh god!_

``I am not blushing! That is- I- it is very hot in here.``

``Why yes…yes, it is,`` Tony replied, his voice heavy with innuendo, his eyes sparkling.

His words stirred her, the way they used to, the way they still did on the rare occasions when he wasn`t annoying her half to death. She hadn't had sex since Michael, and any hint of sexual interest these days was an instant aphrodisiac.

They started walking toward the bull pit, a heavy silence descending as they went. Ziva looked out of the corner of her eye to see a smirk still resting on Tony`s face.

``Stop smirking!`` she hit him gently on the arm.

``No!``

`Stop, or I _will_ hurt you!``

``No. It`s not everyday that I receive a compliment from you, little Miss Ice queen, and I intend to bask in my glory, thank you very much!``

``Tony! Stop smirking or I will make you stop!``

``There`s only one way to make me stop.``

_Here we go…_

``Tony, if you are about to propose that I set 3 mice loose in McGee`s desk and label them one, two and four, I have already said no a milli-``

``Kiss me Ziva.``

His voice was serious. The surprising type of serious that revealed that he was so much more then the ridiculous playboy he pretended to be, the type of serious that made her want to throw her panties at him. He stared at her, his eyes boring holes through her.

``Wha-what?``

``Kiss me.``

She stared at him, shocked by his sudden honesty, after so many years of hiding behind false meanings. He looked at her directly, and spoke, each word hitting her harder then the last.

``Look Ziva, I`m about to go home tonight and watch t.v. alone on my couch. I`m about to go home and pretend like tonight isn`t the most painful night of my entire year. I`m going to act like tonight is any other night, try to banish it from my head that tonight is Christmas eve, a time that you're supposed to spend with family and friends, not cold pizza and reruns of Cheers. And tomorrow? I`m going to sleep through tomorrow. Because I didn't get an invitation to Christmas dinner at my fathers, or any other Christmas festivities for that matter. So, I`m asking you now. _Kiss me_. Pretend like you still feel like you did when I was busy being a dumb playboy, too ignorant to see what was right in front of me. Give me something to hold onto tonight and make my life feel like it`s come to something, anything. I know we said no gifts, but-``

Ziva placed one finger over his lips.

``We created the `no gift`` rule because gifts at this time of year seem like a forced concept.``

She smiled softly at him, ``So, do not count this as a gift, ok?``

She pulled him toward her and placed her lips gently on his. The kiss deepened, as he wrapped his fingers in her hair. After a minute, they both pulled away, breathless.

Tony looked at her, stunned.

She stared back, stunned equally by how much that one touch had affected her.

_Wow…he's still got it._

Tony looked at her evenly, grinning from ear to ear, What do you want Ziva?``

``What?``

``You want the moon? Just say the word and I'll throw a lasso around it and pull it down!``

Ziva laughed, ``Tony, what are you-…?``

``Just a little teaser for later. ``It's A Wonderful Life``, James Stewart, Donna Reed. We're watching it tonight.``

``We are?``

``Come over…. I`ve got cold pizza! …As a gift to me?``

Ziva wagged her finger at him, ``No gifts Tony, remember?…``

He frowned, ``Well, then I guess…I'll get going ho- ``

``Not a gift. How about for free?`` She grinned at him as she picked up her coat from her desk and headed to the elevator.

``For free? Well aren't you just a regular Santa Claus?``

``Yes, but I bet Santa does not look as good as I do in festive lingerie,`` Ziva cautioned, slipping onto the elevator with a wink, ``….not that you will ever know…``

``Oh come on! That's just cruel! Now you're just Scrooge! It's Christmas! The season of giving!`` the elevator closed on the two bantering, their sexual tension steep as they both anticipated a night four years in the making.

Gibb`s watched from the stairs where he'd been observing their entire interaction the whole time.

_There goes rule number 12.…………….ah well, it's Christmas. _


End file.
